Each evening I’ve been watching Ken Burns’ The National Parks: America’s Best Idea on PBS. Not only am I learning about the history of the parks, but it is making me get that travel itch again. The kids will walk through the living room and hear a mention of Mesa Verde, which leads into an exciting recollection of a family road trip we took a few years ago.
My husband sat down on the couch as he became engrossed in his own memories of working summers during college. He entertained the kids with stories of sleeping in the trunk of a car in Yosemite and waking up with wildlife walking around the vehicle.
Of course, I have my own memories….
My parents taking my brother and I to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Or bringing my own family to the same area for an afternoon picnik.
Discovering lost civilizations in Mesa Verde:
A press trip to Moab, Utah where I visited Arches National Park, one of the many parks to explore near in the area.
And an unbelievable experience at Yellowstone National Park.
This picture near the end of my Yellowstone trip made me miss my babies who were at home.
I’ve been to many more parks than in just these pictures and there are many more left for me to discover. Which US National Park is your favorite and do you have a particular memory that makes it even sweeter?
Be sure to catch the rest of The National Parks: America’s Best Idea on your local PBS station.
Though I’ve not been to a lot of US National Parks, my absolute standout favourite is Yosemite where I have been three times (in three different seasons – winter, spring and summer). It is the incredible variety of landscapes from high country Tioga Pass, the redwoods, the incredible valley surrounded by sheer rockwalls, tumbling waterfalls at every turn and some great tracks through the place. Apart from the suffocating crowds, I can’t imagine what more one piece of the world could offer.
Having been born in what is now the Lake District National Park in England, I’m tempted to beat the drum for our own National Parks.
But, the favourite in US that I’ve always wanted to visit, but never have … yet … is the Sequoia National Park.
I’m with Mark – Yoesemite is stunning. I hope I am able to return someday; I’d like to see it in a season other than summer, when the crowds descend. And the nice thing about Yosemite is that you can also visit nearby Sequoia and Kings Canyon. On the other hand, I’ve never been to Alaska……
Oh…the memories! My parents used to drag me to Yellowstone when I was a kid – of course I hated it as a moody teenager. A totally different experience now! My parents recently moved to South Dakota and even though it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere, it’s given me the opportunitiy to explore the beautiful parks in Western South Dakota! Love them!